Page 37 of The Future Play

“It’s good to have balance.”

“I’m striving for that. I tend to overwork myself and not slow down. Hanging out with the girls has helped with that. For how much they have going on, they’re surprisingly good at balancing it all.”

“So kickboxing, reading, reigning as the event queen. What else? Do you spend a lot of time with your family?”

“What those three things aren’t enough? Actually, make it four. I also play volleyball. I played in high school and I do a recleague during the summers. I’m excited for it to start this year. As for my family… I don’t know. We’re close, and we do a couple of family trips each year, but with my oldest brother out of the house now, a lot of that stuff is few and far between. I know I can always rely on my parents, but we don’t seek each other out to do stuff other than monthly family dinners.”

There’s something haunted in her eyes when she talks about her family. Even though it quickly fades, I want to know more.

“I hate seeing that look in your eyes.”

“What look?”

“It’s like a deep, permeating sadness. It never lasts long, but I get the sense it’s always inside you.”

She clears her throat. “That’s very perceptive.”

“That’s the story of an introvert. We’re always watching what’s happening around us, even when we aren’t saying anything.”

“It makes me wonder what else you see.”So much. But she continues before I can say anything. “I’ve had my heart broken, and it leaves unexpected scars.”

I don’t know who the fuck would ever break her heart, but they must be the biggest idiot on the planet. How could someone not know what they have when they have her? She’s so honest. So genuine. And while all of her is gorgeous, her heart is fucking stunning.

“What about you, baseball boy?”

I stare at her for a beat longer, then let go of the rest of the questions I want to ask her.

There’ll be time for those later.

Or there won’t be, in which case, it’ll be better that I didn’t ask them.

“What about me?”

“What drives you?” She sighs heavily. “Let me guess. Baseball?”

I can’t help but laugh. “I’m a simple man.”

“Boy,” she teases.

“I’ll be eighteen in three weeks.Man.”

“But baseballboyhas a better ring to it.”

“I’ll always let you call me that, event queen.”

She tilts her head. “I think I just likequeen. Ooh, or you can call meYour Majesty.”

I bite back the first thing that pops into my head.

Only in the bedroom.

Because fuck. I should not be thinking of Amanda like that. Except I couldn’t stop myself if I wanted to. I’d rather beat off to thoughts of her for the rest of my life than ever look at porn again.

Amanda elbows me. “Come on. Tellmesomething. What’s your secret? What don’t you share with your family or the chaos of the hive mind?”

“Okay,” I say slowly. I don’t really talk about this with anyone. I probably should, but it’s hard for me to not act totally confident about baseball. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

She turns on the loveseat so she’s facing me, tucking her feet underneath her.

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